Artblog creators, Roberta Fallon and Libby Rosof, talk with other Philadelphia artists and independent organizations about the relationship between blogging and their projects. Also contemporary artists, Zoe Strauss and Mark Shetabi, discuss what it's like to be the subject of critical writing.

Smart, savvy and super nice, Steven Stern is writing an article about the Philadelphia arts scene for the NY times. When it comes out in a few months I will post a link here. I am very much looking forward to reading it. Yes to Steven Stern!

I included this in a email I sent him and I really mean it....

Philadelphia is without a doubt the greatest city in the world and is a breeding ground for challenging and beautiful work. Philadelphia is in the vanguard of contemporary art. Dude, we're cooking with nuclear fission, fuck the Manhattan project.

"Aerospace and defense giant Boeing Co. has won a multibillion-dollar contract to revamp how the United States guards about 6,000 miles of border in an attempt to curb illegal immigration, congressional sources said yesterday.

Boeing's proposal relied heavily on a network of 1,800 towers, most of which would need to be erected along the borders with Mexico and Canada. Each tower would be equipped with a variety of sensors, including cameras and heat and motion detectors."

I have often though that we are moving towards closed borders and this is an ominous sign. Towers that electronically monitor the Canadian border? What?

And what the fuck is this meeting about? You can read the whole article below or click on "meeting" above to read the article on the Toronto Star website.

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Getting closer to Uncle SamPublic kept in dark as business leads talks about North American integration, By Maude Barlow Sep. 20, 2006. 01:00 AM

While the media were busy obsessing over rumours of a budding romance between Condoleezza Rice and Peter MacKay last week, a more significant relationship was developing behind closed doors.

Away from the spotlight, from Sept. 12 to 14, in Banff Springs, Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day and Defense Minister Gordon O'Connor met with U.S. and Mexican government officials and business leaders to discuss North American integration at the second North American Forum.

According to leaked documents, the guest list included such prominent figures as U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Mexican Secretary of Public Security Eduardo Medina Mora and Canadian Forces chief General Rick Hillier, although we have no final confirmation of attendees.

The event was chaired by former U.S. secretary of state George Schultz, former Alberta premier, Peter Lougheed and former Mexican finance minister Pedro Aspe.

Despite the involvement of senior North American politicians, organizers did not alert the media about the event. To make it worse, our government will not be issuing a public statement and refuses to release any information about the content of the discussions or the actors involved.

Day's office has been telling journalists that it cannot comment on the minister's private meeting and that journalists should understand this. So much for accountability.

The event was organized by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives— the elite club of Canada's richest CEOs— and the Canada West Foundation, an Alberta think-tank that promotes, among other things, closer economic integration with the United States.

The focus of the event was on North American security and prosperity. Not surprisingly, this included topics such as "A North American Energy Strategy," "Demographic and Social Dimensions of North American Integration" and "Opportunities for Security Co-operation" — all topics where the public interest is at odds with that of big business elites.

Unfortunately meetings like this are now commonplace.

Since Paul Martin, Vicente Fox and George W. Bush signed the Security and Prosperity Partnership in March 2005, discussions on continental integration have gone underground.

The media have paid little attention to this far-reaching agreement, so Canadians are unaware that a dozen working groups are currently "harmonizing" Canadian and U.S. regulations on everything from food to drugs to the environment and even more contentious issues like foreign policy.

Make no mistake, this process of harmonization is not about improving food, environmental and other norms; it is about priming North America for better business by weakening the impacts of such perceived obstacles as environmental standards and labour rights.

This is why the public has been kept in the dark while the business elite has played a leading role in designing the blueprint for this more integrated North America. In fact, they have been the driving force.

In June this year, their power was formalized when our governments created the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC), an advisory committee comprised of representatives from the largest corporations in North America including Wal-Mart, Chevron, General Motors, Lockheed Martin, Suncor and others.

Their goal is to make North America more competitive globally, which means weakening our government's ability to regulate industry, protect the environment or our social safety net.

Lockheed Martin's Ron Covais's statement to Maclean's magazine earlier this month about the role of the NACC was quite revealing: "The guidance from the ministers was, tell us what we need to do and we'll make it happen."Sadly, we the public are not informed of what big businesses are telling our ministers to do.The NACC met in Washington on Aug. 15 to discuss its priorities, but we have very little information about what was said as it was not reported anywhere in the press. For Canadians, developments on energy will be crucial.

The U.S. administration, anxious to keep up with its country's high energy demands, has shown great interest in this "secure" energy source located just north of its border. With corporations like Suncor involved, energy was an important item of discussion at the Banff meeting last week.

Given the detrimental impacts of oil sand extraction on our environment and given that Canada currently exports 66 per cent of its oil (primarily to the U.S.) while importing 55 per cent of what we use domestically from countries like Algeria, Venezuela and Norway, it is alarming that Ottawa would discuss a "North American Energy Strategy" with the U.S. and Mexico before establishing a Canadian strategy that would ensure our ability to protect the environment and ensure a secure energy supply for Canadians.Though not as glamourous as the date between Peter and Condi, the media should pay better attention to this marriage between our governments and big corporations.The Conservatives came to power on the promise to make government more accountable. They need to be reminded that our government should be accountable to the people of Canada— not just its business elite.

------Maude Barlow is chairperson of the Council of Canadians and author of 15 books including Too Close for Comfort: Canada's Future within Fortress North America.

Monday, September 25, 2006

Let's take a look at my post Isaac makeover outfit, as I'm back to my usual style.

Here I am modeling my evening wear. Made by "Miami Nites" with an easy to read big tag in the back, this is best described as a canary "oversized t-shirt." Emblazoned with a axiom known to all, the night shirt cries out, "Not Before My Coffee."

Not pictured here- mint green version with "I don't do mornings."

PS. My lady was like "why do you have to put this up" and then I was like "because this is my real style and you know it" and then my lady was quiet probably because she had to mull over whether she was going to break up with me right then. Fortunately, we're still together more than an hour after this post.

I am sick watching George Bush, Sr. talking about the recovery of New Orleans pre Saints game tonight. Why doesn't someone run up and punch him in the fucking face?

Now, although I am thrilled for the people in New Orleans to have the Saints returning home to play, I don't think it's appropriate for the superdome to have been rebuilt. The superdome is a site emblematic of the greatest national disgrace in my lifetime and a site where many people died and many more suffered. I am for the rebuilding of New Orleans and I am for the Saints playing in the city and it is most certainly the residents and local governments understandable choice to reopen the superdome but it's a site of literal and figurative deaths.

I have been described many times as the first member of my immediate family to graduate from high school. While this is technically true, it's a very misleading description of my formative years.

First, I consider my immediate family to be my grandparents, Lee and Joe Baker, my mother, Ilene Baker and my siblings, Cosmo Baker, Walker Roberts and Savannah Roberts. My grandparents didn't graduate from high school, my grandmother went to Gratz and my grandfather went to Strawberry Mansion and both left school before 11 grade.

My mother went to Lincoln and also didn't receive a diploma. However, my mother is actually a brilliant and cultured woman. So what the fuck with the "high school" diploma shit? When things are being written about my work occasionally when the "working class" "high school diploma" blah blah blah comes up there is an undercurrent of classism that makes me uncomfortable.There's the need to make me more "working class" in order to make me more "real" than I am, which is totally bullshit. And then there's the implication that unschooled = uncultured. What?

In addition, the father of my superb siblings, Walker and Savannah, did graduate from high school and went to college. And so did his entire family including my awesome Aunt Jane, who is a very important part of my family. Although I don't think of Walker and Savannah's father as member of my immediate family, there's some schooling in the mix. And certainly in my extended family there's a lot. Not that I give a fuck, but, apparently others do.

I'm not saying that the "first high school diploma" isn't an interesting aspect of my life in relation to my movin' on up in the art world. I do think it's interesting, especially because of the large number of artists who I've met that come from money and endless schooling, not to mention the sickness of the prestige that comes from money and education in the world of art. That being said, there's an undercurrent that smacks of shock and condescension when the discussion of class comes up.

My sister Savannah Roberts has told me what to do after the Pew money runs out, which is to make a book.Next to Lynn Bloom, Savannah always knows what to do best so now I will have to figure out how to make a book.

Many things have been happening in my life and there's really no slowing down in sight.

Here's a list of things that I am thinking about and that I have meant to post for some time.

1. Obviously, this blog is not a forum for intense reflection or rigorous academic writing about my work. It's only a relaxed online journal about shit that I feeling like writing about. And I suck as a writer. That's why I'm a visual artist and not a writer. But, whatever, I'm still putting it out there. Please keep that in mind when reading this.

2. This brings me to the transparency of the production of my work. It's very important to me to show the my process of working from the very beginnings of my editing process. This means that great, great majority of the photos I've put up on this blog and on flickr are not even being considered by me to be shown a part of my full body of work; they are mainly images that I have just begun to think about. It's usually several months before I decide if photo is strong enough to include in a slide show or in I-95 and it could be several years before I decide to show a photo as a part of the installations.

I believe that seeing the process lends to a greater understanding of the work even if it allows to me to be second guessed. It's difficult to leave ones self open and expose a very intimate part of their life, and for me something very intimate is my working process. But that's how it's got to be.

3. What the hell am I going to do for money when the Pew runs out? Someone tell me and tell me fast! I am DREADING having to sell the studio, which looks like it wiil have to happen next year when the Pew checks stop coming.

4. Just making sure everyone knows that Lynn Bloom is the greatest of anyone in the world.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

I have been waiting for several years for the sign that advertised Dickies to come down from the exterior of Uniform City. Today was the the day. One of these will be a good photograph but I am just so relieved that I was able to make this photo. You can click on the title of this post to see how long I've been waiting for Uniform City.

Now note this extra special bag sitting on the floor. I love this bag. My #1 lady got it for me as a Christmas present and she ordered it from a catalog called "Whales and Friends." Correct.

I wanted SO BAD to show it to Liz- you know her, my stylist- and fake that I thought it was a Stella McCartney bag. Is that so wrong? Unfortunately, I couldn't get it together to do it but I will try to go up to visit wearing this shirt and say, "I got this Stella McCartney at Nordstroms!"

Unrelated- the Isaac show that I'm on had Harriette Cole as a guest and she was very enjoyable.

Ok, I still have to finish digesting Zoe Strauss Night at the Whitney (AKA Whitney IPO series) but this week I was on the Isaac Mizrahi show and got a "style transformation" then I had a really good meeting at a gallery and I AM OUT OF MY FUCKING MIND.

Next week, I'm having dinner with Nelson Mandela and Yoko Ono at Martina Navratilova's house. OK, that is 100% a lie. But does it really seem that farfetched considering how insane my life has been? I don't think so!

Here's people coming in for the Isaac show.

Here's me post makeover with John Powell in the background. Oh, you best believe that John Powell has a starring roll in the show.

I was supposed to go with the #1 lady of all time to see friends in Brooklyn, friends who I love, but went back to the hotel and took a shower then took a nap so I could go out and then woke up at 8:30 am. Good one.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Introducing Ms. Elyse Gonzales aka Assistant Curator at the ICA. Ms. Gonzales is quite a curator and I am speaking from personal experience, as she was my curator for the ICA ramp project. Working with Elyse was very enjoyable...I mean, come on, she's Elyse Gonzales.

Elyse is beloved by my lady, my mom and Christine Settino.

So, at the Whitney thing Elyse focused on the goals of I-95 and why I show my stuff in museums. She talked a little bit about the Ramp Project but we didn't talk about the battle over the carpet. Which, P.S., I totally won!

And please note Ms. Gonzales's prescient answer from this interview she did a few years ago...

Q .But sometimes you work with difficult artists. How has that been?A. (from EG) Sometime it's the most frustrating thing but the most rewarding because the reason we work with the artists we do is because they are so passionate and so committed to their work.

Little did she know that the most difficult artist would be coming up in the future, a future that would be filled with the demands of Zoe Strauss.

Read this about Elyse-"Elyse Gonzales is the Assistant Curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania. She received her undergraduate degree in Art History from the University of New Mexico and a Masters from the Williams College Graduate Program in the History of Art. She has worked at the Williams College Museum of Art and the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas. While at the ICA she has curated exhibitions of drawings by Amy Cutler and an installation of photographs by Zoe Strauss."

I am encouraging Elyse to curate a show about contemporary artists visions and (re)interpretations of Renaissance Faires and include a project with a maypole.

Yesterday, I suddenly became obsessed with the song "Across the Universe," by the Beatles. I couldn't buy it online and we only have Let It Be on vinyl and I was so crazed that I had to go out and buy it at Tower Records on South St.

>Aside, I worked at that Tower Records almost 20 years ago and it's remarkably the same in there. Ah, Tower. A shout out to Dan Buskirk, who I saw earlier this week. We worked there at the same time and we dated the same woman...him after me, of course. Dan Buskirk is great. Please note that this is really quite sometime ago, considering that I have been with Ms. Bloom for about 18 years.

So I bought Let It Be and played "Across the Universe" on repeat and drove over to Camden to see what was happening and made these photos-

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

1. Homer Jackson (an amazing artist, a Philadelphian and an overall great guy) once told me about this brilliant idea that he had...why not put a combined "Rocky" and "History of Philadelphia Boxing" museum on the Parkway. I think that's an amazing idea and is appropriate for commemorating the importance of Rocky to Philadelphia culture. It would be a great asset to the city.

2. Prior to the Rocky statue movin' on up to the parkway again, the Rocky statue debate had unfortunately fallen into a "culture" vs. "real people" battle, which was ridiculous. Why were these people saying that the Rocky statue had to return? And, seriously, the idea that "Rocky" is a blue collar hero? Rocky is a fictional character and the sculpture blows. Sylvester Stalone isn't from Philadelphia, yeah, the writer and actor isn't from here...what the fuck!

The scene where he ran up the steps was amazing...but we need a movie prop to commemorate it? No, we dont. Christ! How literal do we need to be?

I am a huge Rocky fan. Dudes, my entrance song at the Whitney thing was "Eye of the Tiger!" But come on!

Actually, I am hoping that they put a statue of Mark Wahlberg, who plays Vince Papale in Invincible, at the top of the steps.

Next up Kaaaaaaaatttttttte Ware: Ms. Katherine Ware is the Philadelphia Museum of Art's curator of photographs. Ms. Ware, besides just being an enjoyable lady, was the person who masterminded the purchase of 8 of my photos for the PMA permanent collection.

Kate Ware wrote a great book about Man Ray, a South Philadelphia born luminary. I suggest you check it out.click here> Man Ray by Katherine Ware

Also check out this most recent book by Kate Ware and Peter Barberie...

For my thing at the Whitney, Kate focused on portraiture-the encounter and my relation to subject of the photograph. Kate said something of great interest to me, that it seems as if people show me their wounds. In a way, I think that's true. They are almost always wounds that someone wants to show with pride, either to display their resilience and strength or to describe an personal injustice that they are living with. There is a sort of defiance present in the strongest portraits of this type, as well as an attempt at showing me what they want me to see the most. Often I come away with the feeling that what someone is getting at can't be shown on their body, but that's the best method for how someone can show themselves to me.

Kate Ware, thanks for your participation so, so much. I got a lot out of it, my friend, and I am very grateful for your participation.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Now Zoe Strauss Night at the Whitney wasn't just a fun filled romp with contemporary photography as the basis for the party. Oh no, Zoe Strauss Night at the Whitney was filled with hardcore academic discussion and an intense question and answer period.

There were 4 people on the panel and I have great respect for all of them.

here's who was up first...Danielle Jackson!

I had never met Danielle Jackson before but we did an interview for the current issue of NY Arts Magazine. I am a fan of Danielle's writing for sure and you can check out some of it here... culture culture.

Danielle's focus was on my use of text based images and she pretty much nailed it. She described a difference between "corporate" text and "handmade" text as seen within the body of my work. She also brought up "Public Chalkboard" from back in the day. Holy shit! Danielle digs deep!

Danielle also brought up the unusually large number of images that I put up on line for people to check out and said that it could be seen as a risky strategy considering the importance of sequencing the images. I was very happy for many reasons to hear this, the biggest one is because I most certainly do see it as a huge risk. It's a very difficult choice to put forth images that are being considered at the beginning of my editing process. I do however see it as a risk worth taking as part of the transparency of process that's so important to me.

DANIELLE JACKSON is a New York based critical thinker and photographer. She began writing criticism while studying cinematography as an undergraduate of New York University and has continued since completing her graduate degree in Africana Studies. She is presently completing her first book of critical essays.

Also, I love the tunnel photo at the top of the page on Danielle's site.

This is the first of at least 2 entries about Zoe Strauss Night aka IPO at the Whitney.

OK, first, my experience with the Whitney from start to finish has been nothing short of superb. I love the Whitney. This is actually a shock, considering my preconceived notions of the "art world." Crazy, right? I LOVE going to the Whitney. And not just that; I LOVE the people who work at the Whitney. It's nuts.

So here's how Zoe Strauss Night at the Whitney went...first, it was completely reserved out and standing room only. Hello, world wide takeover.

First, how bout that outfit I was rocking? My stylist via Isaac Mizrahi, Elizabeth Shein, sent my outfit over to the hotel and my lady had to bring in over in the pouring rain. By the time my lady got to the Whitney she was totally soaked, she couldn't get a cab to save her life. But my outfit got there, clean and dry, and I rocked that right the hell out. I really wanted to introduce Ms. Shein around as "my stylist" but I was too busy. Don't think I'm going to let it go that easy. I am referring to Liz Shein as my stylist for the rest of my life. Again, the amount of fun I had being styled was THROUGH THE ROOF. Yes, to Liz Shein and yes to the many Isaac gals, including Kate who wore the lucky necklace. Yes, this whole thing is completely surreal.

Onto my new intern...INTRODUCING MR. NICK FELDMAN! He manned the photo sales with panache and flair, as well as complete confidence. Congratulations Nick Feldman.

ONTO THE PROGRAM>>>Traffic was apparently horrible, so the schedule was changed slightly to begin with the slide shows and then show the trailer for "If You Break the Skin." I was a little disappointed with how the slideshows were so dark, it was go with either too dark or too light due to the lighting in the room...but I think people got the gist of them. I will be showing the real deal here on Oct. 28th, so I wasn't super upset. This brings me to my man, Ron Burrell, king of IT at the Whitney. I think he's the best and I now owe him a box of butterscotch krimpets for his excellent work.

So I showed some slideshows and then I introduced the trailer for "If You Break the Skin" documentary about yours truly. This movie will be amazing. I made prints for the kids and the folks who worked on the film who were there...